748 William IX
eunuch, was hated and threatened by the nobility and
deserted to the service of the ALMOHADS. Marguerite con-
tinued to govern with Stephen of Perche as chancellor
and archbishop of PALERMO. Stephen was, however,
expelled in 1168 with his French entourage. Governing
power then was exercised by his household, bishops,
eunuchs, and the grand chancellor, Matthew of Ajello (d.
1193), of the Norman aristocracy.
William himself took control in 1171. Perceiving that
the threat of intervention by FREDERICKI BARBAROSSAhas
lessened, William made a German alliance by marrying
his aunt, CONSTANCE OFHAUTEVILLE, to the future HENRY
VI (1165–97). He married Joan (1165–99), the daughter
of HENRYII of ENGLAND. With the help of his strong fleet,
he tried to invade AFRICAbut was defeated near ALEXAN-
DRIAin 1174. He also sought a way to carry out an expe-
dition against the BYZANTINEEMPIREand ISLAM. He had
some success, capturing Thessaloniki, and invaded only
to be defeated near CONSTANTINOPLE in 1185. While
planning his participation in the Third CRUSADE, he sud-
denly died childless on November 18, 1189, at Palermo.
This opened the way to a HOHENSTAUFENmonarchy over
Sicily and southern ITA LY.
See alsoMONREALE.
Further reading:Ugo Falcando, The History of the
Tyrants of Sicily by “Hugo Falcandus,” 1154–69,trans. Gra-
ham A. Loud and Thomas Wiedemann (Manchester:
Manchester University Press, 1998); Donald Matthew, The
Norman Kingdom of Sicily(Cambridge: Cambridge Uni-
versity Press, 1992); John Julius Norwich, The Kingdom in
the Sun, 1130–1194(New York: Harper & Row, 1970).
William IX (Guilhem)(1071–1127) duke of Aquitaine,
literary patron, soldier, poet
William IX was born on October 22, 1071, the son of
William VIII (r. 1058–86). Spending most of his life in
WARFARE, he twice attempted to annex the city of
TOULOUSE, in 1098 and in 1119. As the duke of
AQUITAINE, he managed to take that city but was never
able to maintain authority there. He took part in an
unsuccessful CRUSADE to the Holy Land in 1101 and
- He also participated in a Crusade in SPAIN in
1120–23. He had a love affair with the wife of the vis-
count of Chêtellerault, leading to a papal EXCOMMUNICA-
TION. All the while William continued to write, recite,
and sing his boisterous, humorous, and sometimes coarse
love poems. William was known as “the first troubadour”
and assembled poets and troubadours at his court at
Poitiers, making it a center of secular culture and con-
cepts of CHIVALRY. He died on February 10, 1127.
See alsoCOURTLY LOVE.
Further reading:William IX, Duke of Aquitaine, The
Poetry of William VII, Count of Poitiers, IX Duke of
Aquitaine,ed. and trans. Gerald A. Bond (New York: Gar-
land, 1982); Frede Jensen, Provençal Philology and the
Poetry of Guillaume of Poitiers(Odense: Odense Univer-
sity Press, 1983); Linda M. Paterson, The World of the
Troubadours: Medieval Occitan Society, c. 1100–c. 1300
(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993).William of Auvergne (ca. 1180/90–1249)French the-
ologian, philosopher, bishop of Paris
William was born at Aurillac near Auvergne between 1180
and 1190. He studied at PARIS, became a teacher, gained
an appointment as a canon from about 1223, and became
a master of THEOLOGYby 1225. As part of the group who
opposed an election to the bishopric of Paris in 1227, he
went to ROME. Pope GREGORYIX annulled the election
and instead chose William as the bishop of Paris on April
10, 1228. However, he always remained more interested in
scholarly work than ecclesiastical administration.
As bishop he presided over a university strike
between 1229 and 1231, a conflict with the Crown in
1238, and the condemnation of the TALMUDin 1244. Var-
ious popes and King LOUISIX employed him on several
diplomatic missions. Besides trying to refute heretical
movements, he tried to reform monasteries and favored
the new mendicant orders. Along with his administrative
duties, William wrote extensive scriptural commentaries,
philosophical and theological works, SERMONS, and trea-
tises on spirituality and pastoral care. William also
attempted to limit the impact of the new ARISTOTELIAN-
ISMand especially the material added by Arabic commen-
tators in the effort to assimilate ancient PHILOSOPHYinto
Christianity. He died in Paris on March 30, 1249.
See alsoWILLIAM OFAUXERRE.
Further reading:William of Auvergne, The Immortal-
ity of the Soul,trans. Roland J. Teske and Francis C. Wade
(Milwaukee: Marquette University Press, 1991); William
of Auvergne, The Trinity or First Principles,trans. Roland
J. Teske and Francis C. Wade (Milwaukee: Marquette
University Press, 1989); Steven P. Marrone, William of
Auvergne and Robert Grosseteste: New Ideas of Truth in the
Early Thirteenth Century(Princeton, N.J.: Princeton Uni-
versity Press, 1983); E. A. Moody, Platonism and Aris-
totelianism in the Psychology of William of Auvergne(New
York: Columbia University Press, 1933), 1–109.William of Auxerre (ca. 1150–1231)French Scholastic
philosopher, theologian
William was born about 1150 in Auxerre, and became
the archdeacon of Beauvais. He eventually taught at
PARISand made two journeys to ROME, where he was
involved in a conflict in 1229 about the teaching
of ARISTOTELIANISM, which had been forbidden by a
council of Paris in 1210. He issued a bull (Parens
scientiarum) that has been called a foundational
document for the University of Paris. He was again part
of a three-person commission appointed by GREGORY
IX on April 23, 1231, to examine and clarify the posi-
tion of the thought of Aristotle in university teaching.
He was also to prepare a new edition of the scientific